Uncertain Future
by Padawan Nik-ka
Summary: Qui-gon accuses Obi-wan of something he didn't do, getting a result he would never forget... PG for fighting scenes This is my first fic, so please read and review
1. Prelude and chapter 1

Prelude 

Prelude 

"Padawan please…"

Qui-gon trailed off as the young man he once knew as his padawan threw back his head and laughed coldly, sending shivers down his spine.

Obi-wan watched him, eyes colder than the ice. He stood casually, legs, shoulder width apart, hands crossed over his chest. He still maintained his padawan hairstyle, but the braid that once marked his apprenticeship was unbraided, mocking Qui-gon silently with its limp form.

He stepped forward hesitantly, but slammed right into a force shield surrounding Obi-wan. Pain wrenched his heart. 

"Obi-wan please, trust me. Give me another chance I'm sorry."

Obi-wan raised an eyebrow regarding him coldly. 

" Trust, is to be earned. When broken, it can never exist between the pair again. You knew that Qui-gon, but you took me back as a padawan. To teach me a lesson. A lesson I will never forget. You can say bye to the Obi-wan you once knew. The boy always eager to please you to win your respect. He is gone, faded away. And I am to replace him. "

It took a few seconds before the truth hit Qui-gon with full force. He failed Obi-wan. He ruined the boy's future. He destroyed the boy's trust just like the boy did to him just two years ago. It was too late to regret. He had to find a way. Even if he could not undo what he just did, he could make up for he it he must or he would never forgive himself. 

" Obi-wan, is there anyway…"

Again, he was rudely interrupted.

" No. There is no way you can ever undo or even make up for what you just did. I trusted that you have forgiven me that you have forgiven yourself. Instead you gave me false hopes, you made me think that it was possible to be the Padawan and Master pair I always dreamed to become. I always thought that you were the wisest, the best of all Jedi Masters. You let me down _Master_ you really did. I don't suggest you follow me, you won't like what you see."

With that, Obi-wan spun around, grab hold the handles of his speeder and drove it out of sight, leaving Qui-gon behind to swallow his dust. 

  


Chapter one

Things couldn't be worse. The weather was horrible, and he had a splitting headache. It's been almost a week, and he still couldn't track Obi-wan down. The boy was strong in the force. If he turned to the dark side… Qui-gon didn't bare to think any deeper. 

He had done lots of mistakes. So far, this was the most fatal of all. He could have created the worst enemy ever. The sith haven't appeared after the Jedi suppressed them. Obi-wan turning to the dark-side may be the beginning of a new generation of Dark Lords…

"No!" He screamed at himself. 

He couldn't believe that he made the same mistake again. Especially just after he reprimanded himself. Obi-wan didn't have a single streak of badness in him_. Until you destroyed him. Wasn't that what you said about Xanatos, look at what you created. _A small inner voice mocked him mercilessly, _you destroyed two promising young souls. Just for the sake of yourself, afraid that they'll destroyed you, so you destroyed them instead. _

He shook his head vigorously, trying to get rid of the voice. He buried his head in his hand and remember what seemed to be years ago, but in reality, only two weeks had passed.

"Master, must we? I'm sure the governor will do well on his own. We aren't his lap dogs or personal security. He seems to have more than enough are we really required?" Obi-wan wined indicating to the huge group of burly men surrounding the governor.

Qui-gon sighed and answered patiently as if speaking to a child, " Duty calls Obi-wan, the governor is known for being a paranoia. What if the guards turn on him and decide that they've seen enough of him."

"But I'm hungry. And I'm sick of following this old bag around…" Obi-wan trailed off seeing the look on the older Jedi's face.

"Sorry master." He said sheepishly, embarrassed that he actually let the words slip through his mouth. He seem have done that quite often for the last few days.

The two were silent as they travelled painfully slowly to the governor's house. Obi-wan glanced around surprised. He was told that the scenery was beautiful in Dagblo, but he never really imagined this sort of wild beauty. The desert land didn't have miles and miles of sand like Tatoonie, but had different peculiar landforms scattered all over its surface. 

It took about two standard hours to reach the governor's home, by that time, Obi-wan was sweaty, sticky and in a foul mood. _At least the governor didn't make them walk all the way back and let them stay is the smallest dustiest most rundown room in the governor big mansion, _Obi-wan thought sourly, _that was better than nothing. _

_ _


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Back to the present time

Parry. Counter. Dodge. Twist. Surrendering to reflex, Obi-wan let the blade move on its own on its own will, defying the rules of time, defending its tables. 

Twist, dodge. 

The enemy was tiring. 

Strike. Obi-wan felt metal blade slide home. Victory. 

" Mission completed." 

The black-clad Obi-wan flipped nimbly over a wall and disappeared as thje darkness swallowed him. 

"Mission was successful sir!" Obi-wan snapped into a smart military-like salute holding it until the man sitting in front returned the greeting.

"Good job Bri. You're the best we've have, or had ever had." The man smiled wearily. "I've got good news. The Republic would be sending a Jedi over to help is with this…uhhh…dispute."

At the word "Jedi". Obi-wan felt as if a huge cold hand had squeezed his heart. The general frowned as he watched his youngest, yet best officer pale. 

Eyes are the windows to the soul\

Just a glance at the boy's eyes sent shivers down his spine. They looked so old, so weather bitten. The sea green eyes seemed to be going through its own private conflict. A violent storm took place in the depths of those eyes. Conflicting emotions flashed through the eyes. Hate. Fear. Anger…pain. 

"Bri?"

Obi-wan didn't answer, eyes showing a distant preoccupied look, as the past replayed itself in Obi-wan's mind. An event he would never forget, no matter how hard he tried. It would always remain there, a reservoir of pain, buried deep into his mind. 

The sound of flesh hitting flesh echoed through the valley, bouncing off the sand-formed walls. Obi-wan felt the stinging sensation as the blow landed on his cheek, sending him on to his knees. He knelt there stunned, brain too numbed by shock to react. 

"You failed me Obi-wan. You failed me."

He raised his head, to see Qui-gon's ice blue eyes impassive, cold, frightening. Obi-wan felt his Padawan braid slapping at his neck mockingly as a gust of wind blew towards them. Qui-gon squatted down next to him, causing him to duck instinctively. But this time, no blow was aimed at his face. He felt a violent tug at his utility belt and looked down, just in time to see his ex-master's large hand grip his lightsabre, yanking it free from the belt. 

"Your no longer a Jedi. You disgrace me Obi-wan!"

Qui-gon stood up, and left Obi-wan kneeling on the floor, alone in the freezing night. Tears came freely, coursing down his cheek, trying in vain to stop the tears, Obi-wan gave up and slumped on to the floor, sobbing like a child. Wondering when this nightmare would stop, wondering what he did to deserve such a treatment. He squeezed his eyes shut, but couldn't help the words from echoing in his head. 

Pain

"You failed me."

Hurt

" No longer a Jedi"

Shame

"Disgrace me."

Anger. 

Betrayal. Loss. Disappointment…

Destroyed. 


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 4

BTPT

"But I've got to look for him!" Qui-gon argued. 

"Sorry Qui, but that's the council's order, the Zelon War is more important. Both of you made a choice, you can't erase the past, and you can't stop him."

Qui-gon winced at the truth behind his friend's words. He needed time to think, time to find out where Obi-wan was, time to convince him to come back. Time. That was something he needed most, and no amounts of credit can buy that. 

"Okay Mace, not that I really had a choice. "

The wavering hologram of Mace Windu gave him a sympathetic glance, and brief goodbyes were made before they ended the transmission. 

Qui-gon didn't want to go, but life had to continue. 

Meanwhile…

"Bri?"

"Sorry?" Obi-wan snapped out the memory replay and back into the present, head reeling. 

"Bri? Are you alright?" The general gazed, concerned, at him. 

Obi-wan noticed he was rubbing his cheek, and quickly jerked his hand from his face. He swallowed and gave a tight nod, struggling to compose himself. He didn't know whether he could face seeing another Jedi. He couldn't watch another man doing his job. In his mind he saw himself going through complicated jumps, twists, wielding his lightsabre with grace. So confident, self-assured. But he could never do that again. Never. 

He wanted to back out, to turn and run away. To run non-stopping until he dropped from exhaustion. He wanted to back out, to turn and flee, but he couldn't. He couldn't desert his friends. True friends that really cared for him, going through the trouble to get a job for him, giving him a home. No, he wasn't Qui-gon; he would never desert his friends, his only 'family'. He would stay and fight to the last. He wasn't a Jedi anymore, but that wouldn't stop him from fighting against evil, and dying a honourable death. Qui-gon took everything that had meant something to him. His family, his home, his life. But he wouldn't allow Qui-gon to take his spirit. He would let his ambition thrive. 

"General? May I ask what my task may be?"

The general tilted his head slightly to the right surveying Obi-wan carefully. He smiled suddenly, the expression adding more warmth to the friendly face. 

"Bri? I know this isn't your usual profession, but would you mind doing me, and Zelon a big favour? Work for me. Our military needs somebody like you. Somebody who knows his job. Join the military as a captain, choose your own team, and train them right."

Obi-wan felt shocked. That sure wasn't something he expected. He thought he'll just be asked to bring down other high-ranking officers from the Dalien army, that was, his job, being a assassin. He couldn't comprehend his own feelings. He wanted to help, badly, but working for someone who has Jedi help, was bad enough. Working in the shadows was something he preferred, in this situation, but joining the front lie wasn't exactly his ideal job. He didn't want to risk the chance of meeting another Jedi. He didn't want to admit this, but he was afraid. For once, he wasn't sure of his own future. As a Jedi, before, he knew what he was supposed to do, his work was cut out before him. But now, facing this decision, he really didn't know what to do. He didn't have someone to relate to, someone to speak to. 

Forcing a smile on to his face Obi-wan agreed, hoping that it was the right choice. He requested that he should be refrained from wearing the uniform. Though the general thought the request strange, he agreed to it, with no questions. 

Giving a final salute to the general, Obi-wan left the office, to the confinements of his own room. 

*Hi! Sorry about the short uploads. School has just ended for term break, but I still have loads of homework to complete. Thanks to everyone for the reviews! *


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer (which I forgot to write): All Obi-wan and co

Disclaimer (which I forgot to write): All Obi-wan and co. belong to George Lucas and I don't think my writing is good enough to earn anything. 

Chapter 4

Obi-wan surveyed the group of twenty men in front of him, and felt contented. He spent the whole day watching the men-at-arms train, and picked the ones he thought fit for the group. Even though the group was small, it was whole and could do the damage Obi-wan wanted. 

Having a smaller group was always at Obi-wan's favour. It made it efficient on its feet. He main aim was to hit and run, frightening the enemy troop and giving them a higher edge above the rest. He knew that once the enemy troops lost confidence in themselves, victory was half achieved. 

He chose seven men with special abilities that would come in handy during their missions. Some sly work would be needed. 

Daja, his second-in-command was a large, well-muscled human, who was almost twice Obi-wan's age. He had a sharp eye with the blaster, and was well-trained in unarmed combat. The big man could move with the grace and speed no one would imagine a man his size could. 

Dan, Daja's younger brother, was the group's scout. Unlike his elder brother, Dan was a thin and wiry young man. The lanky youth was good at slipping around unnoticed, and was good at finding things. Growing up in the Zelon forests, gave him the upper hand in finding his way around forests. 

Loran, another human, was their spy, their master of all disguises. The 27 year-old man had a charming personality, accompanied with a warm sense of humour. He could speak more than 10 different languages, which made it easier to infiltrate the enemy camp, which spoke in different languages in attempt to confuse their enemy. 

Niko, was the team's demolitions expert, fondly nicknamed "demolition boy". The youngest member of the group, excluding Obi-wan, was a well-built Bothan. Quick and smart, the alien soon caught Obi-wan's eyes. 

Geran, Gary and Gareth were the group's triplets. Looking exactly alike, the brothers were always mistaken for each other, just what Obi-wan needed, a distraction. The three of them had the coordination most people would envy. Geran, Gary, Gareth, wielded a Weequay Ax, vibroblade and wookie's Ryyk blade respectively. Together, they could dance a deadly fight. 

The other thirteen men in the group were picked according to their intelligence and skill at fighting.

Obi-wan watched the group mingle around with each other, exchanging the latest gossip and getting to know each other better. Suddenly, he felt a wave of loneliness wash over him. Taking one last look at his team, Obi-wan spun around, and headed for his quarters. 


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Acknowledgements: My master, Master Kel'gr (wild horse), all the reviewers, last but definitely not least, God above, without Him, nothing is possible. 

Chapter 5

Obi-wan couldn't help but feel foolish. Here he was, in the middle of a huge debriefing room, telling people twice his age what to do. He could just hope that his face wasn't as red as he felt it was. But, he really couldn't help it. At the temple, he was more used in being told what to do, not the other way around. Somehow, giving orders, especially to people older, made him uncomfortable. 

It was their first official meeting as Gaderffii, one of the few Zelon's Intelligence Units. The group member had chosen the name, after the bladed weapons wielded by Tatoonie's fearsome Sand People, otherwise known as Tusken Raiders. The handcrafted weapons were crude, sharp and dangerous, not to mention, sturdy enough to last for years. Obi-wan had to admit that he liked the name. 

"Any questions?"

When the question was met with silence, Obi-wan allowed himself a sigh of relief. He wasn't sure whether his plan would work, but it was the best he could come up with. 

"Okay. Report back in one standard hours time in all your gear. "

"Master Jedi? We're about to land." Qui-gon nodded in acknowledgement and opened his eyes with a sigh. He tried meditating, but for once, the Jedi trait didn't work. The turmoil within him didn't clam down one bit. 

Taking in a deep breathe, Qui-gon tried his best to gain back his composure. He pulled the hood over his head and headed towards the ramp. The faster he resolved the mission, the faster he would be able to resume his search for Obi-wan. 

The Zelon representative waited for him patiently in front of the ship. At the sight of the Jedi Master, he gave a low bow. 

"Ah, Master Jedi. Thank you for responding to our request. Now, will you please follow me to our headquaters?"

Obi-wan felt the familiar presence almost immediately. His head snapped back in surprise. No. This couldn't be. The Jedi the council sent was Qui-gon?! Obi-wan resisted the urge to hit his head against the wall. Ofcourse! Qui-gon was on Dagblo at that moment, the closest Jedi to Zelon would be sent here. He couldn't believe his luck. 

"Groups split up. There's been a change of plans. We leave by the east exit."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Obi-wan padded softly down the empty corridor after spending a few hours tossing and turning in bed. He knew he needed the sleep, but he couldn't leave himself vulnerable when Qui-gon was sleeping in the same building as he was. 

He knew he was probably being childish, but he couldn't help it. 

He led himself unconsciously to the training pool. He just stood there, watching the moonlight shimmer over the gentle ripples the wind made. He recalled the nights Bant and him used to sit by the lake in the Room of a thousand Fountains, watching the lake together, waiting for his ex-master to return from some inplanet negotiations that did not require Obi-wan's presence. 

But those times were gone. He reminded himself. It was time to focus on the present. 

Throwing his clothes aside, Obi-wan dived onto the water, savouring the cool sensation of water rushing by his side. Pushing all the frustration, anger, disrest into each stroke, Obi-wan swam. Each powerful stroke propelled him forward. He didn't stop to think, letting his body move to its own accord. 

For the first time after Qui-gon's betrayal, he opened himself fully to the Force. He called it the "moving mediation. It always worked in the past, and it made no sense why it shouldn't now. His mind began to sort out the junk piled inside there. He finally felt the heavy weight that had been dragging him downwards, lifted. 

He couldn't describe the feeling as joy. He didn't exactly joyful, but he felt peace. But he still wasn't ready to forgive Qui-gon, he might very well never will. But somehow, he couldn't bring himself to hate the man. 

"Gullible fool!" He scolded himself. With that, he added one last powerful kick and felt the cool glass slide beneath his hands. 

Suddenly he felt a familiar presence, which held a Force signature he would never forget. 

"Sith!" Obi-wan swore out loud. He for got totally about the meddling old fool. 

"Qui-gon." He spat the name out, slamming shields as strong as the ones he used against the mind wiping droid up. 

"Obi-wan! No!" Qui-gon screamed out loud. But his former Padawan's Force presence winked out again. 

Silently he cursed himself. He shouldn't have made such an obverse and abrupt appearance. But, he tried to comfort himself; at least he knew Obi-wan was nearby. 

_Yah, and when he sees you, he would tear you onto pieces, grind you into dust and blast you into oblivion. _(Sorry, I couldn't help that.) The irritating inner voice was back. 

"I though you were gone."

Never. 

"Sithspit, I'm talking to myself!" Qui-gon came to a conclusion that he was indeed going mad.

Untangling himself from the bed sheets, Qui-gon walked towards the window. He could tell that this night would be a long one. 


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Tomorrow."

Silence met the one word comment. Qui-gon sighed and rubbed his temples. Jedi were seldom asked to help out in wars. It was part of their code, not to take sides. But this was special. The Supreme Chancellor himself requested their help. 

The internal conflict in Zelon had risen to a height that it might affect her neighbours. The council, naturally choose Qui-gon to help. He was at Dagblo after, the nearest planet to Zelon. This mission was climbing rapidly up his important list. Obi-wan was here, and he had to find the boy. He had no idea how the boy managed to find transport to Zelon, but he did. 

Qui-gon had repeated another common mistake – he underestimated Obi-wan again. He couldn't believe how dumb he was. Obi-wan deserved Qui-gon's trust and respect, but he just couldn't give it. He believed another man word over his Padawan's. And the result? Kicking an innocent Padawan out of the Jedi Order, leaving the eighteen-year-old boy in the wild, stranded, alone to fend for himself on a desert island. 

"Master Jedi?"

Qui-gon jerked out of his thoughts and faced the general. 

"Sorry."

He turned his attention to the general. The situation was almost impossible. There was not much he could do to help. All he could do was to help in the dogfight. That won't be much, but that was basically all he could do to help. 

"Gaderffii managed to break into the main enemy camp and got the estimated amount of soldiers and equipment. There are or should I say were 6 enemy camps. The Gaderffii has done us proud and distinguished 3 of those 6 camps. Though they have halved the number of soldiers against us, but they still overpower us by at least 300 men. But I'm sure we would be able to pull it off somehow."

Qui-gon glanced around the room. All the offices had a grim tense look on their faces. Qui-gon realised that these men would be fighting for their future tomorrow. They would fight for their home, their family, themselves. The chances of death were nearly certain. As a Jedi, he faced danger everyday. It was part of his life; his work was cut out for him. He was a defender of Peace and Justice, but these people were just citizens placed in positions of danger, violence just because of the inhumanity of others. 

"Bri and his team would be coming soon, to receive instructions for tomorrow. Do you have any suggestions on what part the Gaderffiii should play?"

Bri. The name sounded familiar…_that's it!_Qui-gon's head snapped back. Bri was the name of Obi-wan's childhood best friend who died of a serious case of Talious Fever. He shook his head, _it was just a coincidence_. I the leader of the infamous Gaderffii was named Bri. He was looking forward to meet this young man. According to the bits of information he had picked up in the past few days, this Bri was the youngest yet most talented member of the Zelon Arm Forces. He wondered whether this boy was Force-sensitive. 

The general watched Qui-gon, recognising the distant look in the Jedi's eyes, Bri occasionally had that look, as id he was drifting into past memories, Added with Bri's curious reaction upon hearing that a Jedi would be arriving to help, he couldn't help but wonder whether this stoic Jedi had anything to do with the quiet, reserved, but friendly Bri. 

He had a feeling that his question would remain unanswered for the time being. 

"face it Obi-wan, you can't hide anymore." Obi-wan told himself. Wincing slightly as he tightened the bandage around his slightly twisted ankle, Obi-wan couldn't help but have a sinking feeling in his stomach. 

He stood up, hissing slightly as his injured ankle jerked sharply. He muttered an insult to the rock that tripped him. At least the twist wasn't very serious and would probably have healed by tomorrow. 

He tapped on the access pad and waited as the door slid open. 

"Come on."

He waved at the rest of his team, all dressed in a new set of tunic and pants, but their bandages and numerous cuts indicated their tough escape. Sighing, Obi-wan limped towards the debriefing hall. Time to face the inevitable Obi. 

A soft tap on the door got everyone, including Qui-gon's attention. The door opened, and in stepped a young man, with spiky ginger hair, a long handful of hair strands hung all the way to his chest, Sea-green eyes impassive. 

Qui-gon felt his jaw fall open. 

"Oh gosh Obi-wan."

The green eyes turned to his direction and fixed on him. 

Hello. Thanks to all you reviewers out there. Sorry this took so long, but I had test to study for and I got a bad fever. If you people want to complain about the duration I take to update, e-mail wild horse (my master) and tell her to stop studying so that she wouldn't continue beating me in all the tests. So that I can write ;p Thanks again. 


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Qui-gon watched the strange unidentified emotions flicker through the once familiar eyes. The last time he saw Obi-wan's eyes like that, was when he renounced Obi-wan from the Jedi Order. He still had no idea what possessed him that made him land the blow on Obi-wan's face. 

The past event played back in his memory, as if it was happening again, right in front of his eyes. The iron smell of blood filled the air, the Governor laid in a heap, the distinct marks of a lightsabre slash apparent, criss-crossing the man's chest. The sickeningly sweet smell of charred flesh could be detected if you stepped closer to the corpse. 

On the floor, still warm from the attack, laid a lightsabre. Obi-wan's lightsabre. Leaning on the wall, breathing heavily, was Obi-wan himself, looking flushed and dazed. 

He remembered the horror, then anger that flowed through him, providing all the adrenaline he needed. Ignoring his padawan's weak protests, he grabbed the boy by the collar, dragging him out of the late Governor's estate. That was enough to inform the guards that the "culprit" would be punished, and they moved quickly out of the angry Jedi's path. 

Betrayal screamed non-stop into his head, forming a smoke screen in front of him, enabling him to think clearly. His own self-pity engulfed him, making him belief that everyone in the world was out trying to hurt him. Not once, until it was too late, did it ever hit him that each "But…" DID actually hold a value. But even though his anger-fogged mind, he saw the haunting green eyes, and the picture burned itself deep down into his memory. 

Now, the same green eyes stared at him, and all the word he wanted to tell his Padawan dissolved on his tongues.

"Master Jedi. I'm honored to fight at your side."

Qui-gon listened hard, trying to detect a trace of sarcasm, but found none. It was just a statement, it's lack of respect in tone contrasted with the words, but not to an extend which Qui-gon would call rude. 

Before he could say more, Obi-wan walked over to the vacant seats, his group of men following him silently, bit eyeing Qui-gon with a look of caution. Even through his ex-padawan's confident footsteps, he noticed a slight limp that bothered Obi-wan's usual cat-like grace. His men were not better off either. Each one either favored a broken limb, or was decorated with numerous bandages. But like everyone else in the room, their eyes burned with determination. 

"Bri. Glad to have you with us." The General greeted the young man with a nod. Wither he didn't hear Qui-gon call Obi-wan by his real name, or he chose to ignore it. 

Obi-wan gave a sharp salute back in response, and the Gaderffii followed suite. Qui-gon would have grinned at the way his team followed Obi-wan, like little ducklings imitating a grown duck, but the seriousness of the situation prevented him. 

Obi-wan sat down, his heart in his throat. He couldn't handle this. Tomorrow would be one of the most important days in his life, and a distraction, which made his own feeling cryptic, would be fatal. 

He listened to the General talking, storing the information at the back of his mind, allowing himself to review in anytime late. A skill he learnt after the many years of studying in the Jedi Temple. The instruction for the Gaderffii in the "Great Battle" (so they called it) was quite simple. They were split into two groups. One group consisting of snipers, the second was filled by the rest. The first group would star the action first, bringing Dow all the officials, leaders, while the second group crept up on them in the time of confusion. The strategy brought a feral grin onto Obi-wan's face. Self-destruction with a little push was his favourite way of working. Why not make the enemy's own mistake bring him down? Through the information Loran infitrated, the enemies were spurred on by string competition, not unity. Ensigns followed orders without questions. With the leaders down, the enemy was definitely going to scatter. 

Qui-gon was only half listening to the General talk. The rest of his attention centered on Obi-wan. He recognized the slight movement of agreement on Obi-wan's face. Each time during mission debriefings, Obi-wan would give Qui-gon his full attention, not expressing his opinions until he was finished talking. He missed the pure attention his former apprentice use to focus on him when he was giving instructions. Obi-wan never got a single detail wrong when it had anything to do with carrying out instructions. He was always alert to every words, every phrase. Thinking about the way his Padawan treated him, the total devotion and faith, he still couldn't believe his own actions. (*grins* sorry 'bout this "I can't believe I did this" repetitions). 

The meeting ended soon enough, with the General's instructions for a goodnight's rest. Standing up, stretching, Qui-gon raised his head to looked for Obi-wan, but the seat he occupied was vacant. 


	9. Chapter 9

Author's note: Sorry sorry sorry

Author's note: Sorry sorry sorry! *runs away from various sharp objects being thrown at her* I promised myself not to touch the computer during my final exams…(Wild Horse: You STUDY?) Hey! I wanna take three sciences! Thanks to those ppl who e-mailed me to bug me… Specially Megan… thanks. And Wild Horse, don't be so hard on me k?

Chapter 9

The mist surrounding him slowly cleared, making lazy twirls in the air before disappearing into the dark sky. He clutched the blaster harder, adrenaline pulsing in him. Dark clouds gathered where the usual orange tinge grew, blocking out the sunlight completely. 

_Even the weather seems to agree with us. _Obi-wan shuddered, and took in a shaky breathe. _Get a hold on your self Kenobi! _He needed to concentrate. But somehow, something didn't seem right. _Don't linger on your anxieties Obi-wan _He shook his head trying to get rid of Qui-gon's voice, echoing in his mind. Cautiously he sniffed the air, it seemed fine, he checked the power cell of his blaster, fully charged… everything seemed fine, but _something_ wasn't right…Something. 

_Your acting like a high-strung bantha! _He pushed the feeling inside. If he wanted to freak out, this certainly wasn't the best moment to. 

Lightning flashed across the sky, earning a jump from Obi-wan. "Oh come on… Here you are, about to be fighting for your life and you get scared of lightning?" He chided himself softly. 

Usually he liked stormy weather, but somehow, he didn't now. 

Marching feet broke his train of thoughts. 

"They're here. Everyone to positions. On my signal join the fight."

Tapping from the force, Obi-wan sharpened his senses, focusing on the task ahead. Aim. Guy with the black hat. Shoot. Down. Good. Men on beasts. Aim. Shoot. One down, three to go. Two down. All down. Thanks Daja. 

The once neat, orderly groups of men turned into pure chaos as one by one men were shot down from what seemed thin air. People yelled ran, it wasn't a pretty sight. Obi-wan reached into his bag and grabbed a grenade. Slamming his had into the activation panel, he flipped it into the mass below. A fiery mess reigned. (Author here! Don't' get me wrong I'm not sadistic… Wild Horse rolls her eyes…Hey!)

Waving his hand, he signalled the group hiding in ambush out, and they ran down, screaming battle cries. (How barbaric J ) The rest of the battle seemed to be on slow motion. Each stroke he slashed seemed to be part of some holovid, taking is time to remove itself from the opponent's chest, blood spraying everywhere, weaving down his vibroblade, pouring down his hands. He didn't stop to think, he just ran, attacked, dodged. (I have a feeling the it's gonna get a bit gory, so umm… if you can't take it, I'll suggest you don't read any further. I don't want anyone to bash me up or something…)

Something slammed into his knees, pushing him towards the floor. His hands shot forward to brace himself as he did a flip in the air and landed nimbly on his feet. 

"What kind of freak are you?" A voice shouted at him. 

"Freak? More like nightmare." Obi-wan launched himself at the man, twirling the blade, catching him in the chest. He was dead before he touched the ground. (Man, am I sadistic. Nik? Stop being so violent. I need to write more humour. Humour. )

_Obi? You sound like a sith. _A voice ran through his mind. _WHAT_? 

Obi-wan paused for a while, surveying the scene… Men dropped to the ground, like dead leaves off a tree. Blood fell like rain, endless rain. He was adding to the mess. Killing. It wasn't right. And he couldn't stop it. 

He always asked himself that question. Killing. Is it bad if it's for the right cause? To him, everyone had a family. One down, meant more grieving. It didn't seem right. Nothing seemed right all of a sudden. It use to seem so clear to him. Protect the innocent. But that meant killing the bad right? It just lead straight back to the question. Killing. 

A familiar buzz caught his attention. A lighsabre. Twisted around, he saw Qui-gon. A few of the enemy surrounded him ganging on him. He fended them off. But even a Jedi master had his limits. He keep them off, barely. Just then, a large man loomed behind Qui-gon, unseen, a vibroax held high above, arching slowly downwards…

"Nooooooooo!"

TBC… ( I learnt to hate this word)

haha…J The exams are over The exams are over The exams are over… I get to watch TV ya! I get to read ya! Sister's having O'levels…oops. Gotta be Super quiet… 

Nik-ka's evil. Haha. 


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10 Natalie Lam Normal Natalie Lam 7 69 2001-11-08T04:00:00Z 2001-11-08T05:41:00Z 2 569 3246 HOME 27 6 3986 9.2720 Print 75 

Chapter 10

Obi-wan watched as the heave blade sliced through the air, smooth, deadly, evil. Ready to sink into the flesh of its prey, to savour the flavour of death. Qui-gon fought on, blocked the blows of the Zelon warriors infront of him, too preoccupied to sense his own impending doom. 

"Noooooooo!"

Without thinking twice, Obi-wan pushed himself infront of Qui-gon, his own safety the last thing in his mind. He would never be able to forgive himself if he let Qui-gon die in the hands of the enemy. As much as he wanted to convince himself, he couldn't hate Qui-gon. He was the father that Obi-wan never had. He felt his body arch in pain as the blade sank into his side. He fought the breath as the pain laced through his body, clamping down his chest. _Stand up! Fight back! _His mind screamed at himself, urging him to jump up and ward of the blow that was about to descend upon him, but his body was totally unresponsive to the desperate cries. He was totally drained, his energy seeping out with his blood through the wound created by the huge Zelon warrior. He didn't have the strength to fight back, the Force seemed a distant thing, unresponsive, useless. 

He felt something cool being roughly shoved into his hand, something that sent jolt of electricity flowing down his arm. With a sudden rush of adrenaline, Obi-wan lept up, activated his lightsabre and deflected the blow of the very surprised Warrior. The surprise soon turned into a sneer as Obi-wan and the warrior, weapons in front of them, alert, eyes watchful, for every moment the other made. 

"My name is Rusca, and it means killer. Remember this name. I'll hear you scream it as plead for your death before my killing blow comes on you." The Warrior said, the sneer still twisting his features. 

Obi-wan's mask of calm resumed its place, a flash of insolence danced in his eyes, but he said nothing, but continued to watch the Warrior. His mind cleared itself as he held the familiar handle tightly in his grasp. Calling upon the Force, is came naturally, unlike before. He trained his eyes, on the man standing before him gauging his next move from every twitch of a muscle. 

When the blow came, he was ready. Dodging to one side, he deflect it, playing the role of a good Jedi, on defence, trying to wear out his opponent. The dance of survival began. His body limber with from the consistent training of katas, Obi-wan flipped nimbly over Rusca's head, aiming a blow at the man's back. But Rusca wasn't ready to give up yet, he dpun around and deflected the blow without much trouble. The two exchanged blows, each blow was deflected. Neither one was winning, one matched the other. Rusca's strength with Obi-wan's speed, Rusca's weight to Obi-wan's nimble antics. 

Obi-wan felt something warm slid down his legs as he dodged another of Rusca's blow. His own blood. The wound Rusca inflicted on him before started to have it's toll on Obi-wan. Despite the sudden rush adrenaline, Obi-wan could feel his strength slowly seeping out. He needed to end the fight soon. If possible right now. 

A shriek was heard somewhere behing Rusca, and Obi-wan detected a flicker of distraction in Rusca's eyes. Swifly he faked a blow on the right, ducked under Rusca's defenive swing and darted to his left, plunging his blade into Rusca's side. He was fast, but not fast enough before Rusca's own vibro-ax took a glancing blow on his back. Obi-wan wavered for a moment as he watched Rusca's shocked expression before he hit the ground, lifeless. He gasped as the impact of his injures hit him. He sank to his knees before slumping onto the ground, unconscious. 

TBC….

Author's note:

I though I better tell you guys… This is the second last chapter, so all the unanswered stuff that I left kinda vague will have to be answered in it. If you have any questions, can you please please please ask it so I can get it completed. Thanks a millions. 

Padawan Nik-ka


	11. Chapter 11 - the last one...I think

Authors note: Sorry for the late update, but I was at camp. It lasted for a week then, I spent most of my time packing for my holiday…I'm leaving for US tomorrow…I'll be gone for a month, so I though I better write the last chapter…hehe

Chapter 11 (finally the last)

Qui-gon caught Obi-wan before he hit the ground. The boy's wounds didn't look good. Qui-gon didn't want to admit it but if the Obi-wan didn't get medical attention soon, he wouldn't make it. 

He felt tears sliding down his cheeks. He never cried. The scene replayed itself over and over in his head. The scream as the swipe meant for himself slashed into Obi-wan, who pushed him out of harms way. After all Qui-gon did, Obi-wan still remained faithful. He didn't show it, but you wouldn't sacrifice yourself to someone you hate. He remember the times when he ignored Obi-wan, leaving the boy to figure out what he'd done wrong. The hurt that reflect in the green eyes haunted him again. He couldn't imagine how he could be so thoughtless. _The one you rely on most are the ones you take for granted. You never know how much you need the until their gone. _As usual the voice in his head made too much sense. 

He didn't notice how hard Obi-wan worked, trying to balance both academics and his training. He was top in his class, and in every sparring competition, Obi-wan would return with at least one trophy. Each time Qui-gon never seemed impressed. He was, but he never saw the need to tell it to him. He never knew or even bothered to find out why Obi-wan was working so hard. Most of the Padawans just studied hard enough to scrape past the exams and spend most of their time sparring. He never could have guessed that Obi-wan had been trying to impress him. All along. 

The battle still raged around him, the enemies had yet to find out their leader had been defeated. It was about time they did. 

"Rusca's down!"

It didn't strike him strange that the battling soldiers (the enemy, mind you) immediately dropped their weapon and fled. They didn't know what to do. Quite simple minded, most killing machines were. 

Obi-wan's eyes fluttered open. 

"Obi-wan?"

"M-master?"

"Hold on Obi-wan, I'm gonna get you to a medical centre…"

"They don't have enough supplies…I'm won't last long…there are other who need it more…"

Qui-gon's heart leapt…the boy had too much courage…

"No! Just hang on Padawan…your gonna be fine…"

"Master," Obi-wan's blue/green eyes were brighter than normal, "I'm sorry…I failed…"

"You didn't Obi, you didn't!" Qui-gon was getting desperate, "You done all that was in your power…even more…just hand on…you make me proud Obi-wan, you make me proud…"

"Master…bring me home…"

Tears flowing none stop, Qui-gon rose to his feet, still carrying Obi-wan and made a dash toward the vague direction where he landed his transport…all he could do was to hope that Obi-wan survived the trip back…He finally got Obi-wan back…he wuldn't lose him again. 

Heart pounding and out of breath, Qui-gon finally reached his transport. After keying in the coordinates to Coruscant, Qui-gon went back to the room where he left Obi-wan. 

"Just two hours Obi-wan…two hours…hang on.."

Obi-wan was seized by a paroxysm of coughing then sagged back down weakly. 

"Master…you know as well as I…" There was nothing but pained acceptance in Obi-wan's eyes now. 

"Obi-wan…how could you ever forgive me…"

"I learned from the best."

Qui-gon's eyes widened, he never forgave easily.

"You took me back in the end…didn't you? You were the one that gave me the second chance of being a Jedi…It's not something that you would forget easily…"

It's the little things that count 

Obi-wan's breath slowed, eyelids lowering itself slightly. 

"Padawan! Don't leave me!"

Obi-wan's reply was the exactly the same as what Qui-gon told him, six years ago when he went for a solo mission.

"I'll be with you always…in you heart, soul, and mind."

The end

Sorry…abit sucky…

Answer answer….Obi-wan was accused of murder by Qui-gon after found in the room at the same time as the Governers death. The truth was that Obi-wan was trying to defend the Governer. Qui-gon didn't believe Obi-wan's side of the story and therefore…slap him…haha

I'm going on holiday for a month….lalalala

Thanks Megan for the bugging

Wild Horse aka Master…Padawans are the best….hehe…sad that I didn't get in the same class as you…but then again, you were always smarter. 


End file.
